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Western Carolina rallies to beat College of Charleston, 10-6, in baseball

Mar 17 2013 11:16 pm Mar 17 11:17 pm

Western Carolina 10, College of Charleston 6

MOUNT PLEASANT — Western Carolina overcame a four-run deficit with eigh runs in the final two innings to defeat College of Charleston, 10-6, and win the rubber the game of the series.

The Catamounts (12-8, 4-2 Southern Conference) had seven consecutive hits, including two home runs, in the top of the eighth to erase a 6-2 deficit and take a two-run lead. Western Carolina added two runs in the ninth to secure the win.

Morgan Phillips had two doubles, two RBIs and two runs scored for the Cougars (11-8, 3-3), who host Connecticut on Tuesday.

College of Charleston starter Nathan Helvey went six innings and allowed just two runs on four hits, striking out four and walking none. Helvey’s counterpart, WCU starter Jordan Smith, pitched 61/3 innings and allowed all six Cougars runs, four earned, while striking out six.

Alex Barr (1-0) pitched the seventh and eighth innings and allowing just one hit for WCU.

Drew Freie (3-3) suffered the loss as he came in during the top of the eighth and could not record an out, allowing four runs on four hits.

Alex Pastorius and Ben Boykin had RBI doubles for Charleston, while Blake Butler had two hits and an RBI.

Western Carolina was led by Jacob Hoyle, who went 3 for 5 with a double and three RBIs. Aaron Attaway hit a solo home run and Tyler White hit a two-run home run, both coming in the eighth inning. Adam Martin registered three hits and scored a run.

The Cougars took a 3-0 lead in the third inning after an RBI double from Phillips, an RBI single from Butler and an RBI double from Boykin.

Western Carolina cut the margin to one with a two-run sixth inning, plating runs on sacrifice flies from Attaway and Julian Ridings.

The Cougars seemed to be in control after scoring three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to lead 6-2. Doubles from Pastorius and Phillips each drove in runs and then Gunnar Heidt hit a two-out RBI single to score Phillips.

Western Carolina’s big eighth inning started with Attaway’s solo home run, followed by hits from Cody Jones and Julian Ridings and then another home run from White that barely fell over the left-field fence. Austin Neary, Jacob Hoyle and Luke Gragg continued the hits and gave Western a 7-6 lead before Ryan West struck out Martin for the first out of the inning. Bradley Strong drove in a run with a sacrifice fly and then Attaway struck out to end the six-run inning.

Western Carolina added two runs in the top of the ninth with a two-out single from Hoyle, putting the final margin at 10-6.

The game marked the first time that the Cougar pitching staff has allowed more than six runs in a single game this season.

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